Cristián Rodríguez, from the soon-to-be dissolved Arkéa-B&B Hotels team, has landed with XDS Astana for the 2026 season on a one-year contract.
The 30-year-old Spaniard competed with the French team for the past three years, and was previously with TotalEnergies and Caja Rural-Seguros RGA.
Rodríguez had a strong showing in 2025 with a victory in the UCI 1.1 Mercan'Tour Classic, a second place in the 1.1 Andorra Morabanc Classic, and 20th overall in the Tour de France.
"I'm really happy to join such a big team as XDS Astana Team," Rodríguez said in the team's press release. "It's a legendary squad with a long history, performing at the highest level for many years. I'm grateful to the team for believing in me as a rider, and I'll do everything I can to repay that trust."
Rodríguez's other notable results include second overall in the 2022 Ruta del Sol, and a stage win and the overall victory in the 2021 Tour du Rwanda. He is now looking for more success with XDS Astana.
"Next season, I'm fully ready to give 100% for the team's goals and to support my new teammates," he said. "At the same time, I want to continue growing as a professional cyclist and will look for opportunities to show my best in the races where the team relies on me. I'm really excited for the new season."
The team also extended their contracts with Aaron Gate and Matteo Malucelli through the end of the 2027 season.
Gate spent most of his early career racing on the track, winning two world titles - the Omnium in 2013 and the Points Race in 2023 - as well as three Commonwealth Games titles (Individual Pursuit, Team Pursuit, and Points Race) in 2022. He also secured multiple titles in the New Zealand and Oceania Championships.
He shifted his focus to road racing in 2024, signing with Burgos-BH and found immediate success, sweeping four of five stages and the overall in the NZ Cycle Classic before winning the New Zealand road race title. He went on to claim the Oceania time trial title and, near the end of last year, two stages and the overall in the Tour of Hainan.
In his first WorldTour season this year with XDS Astana at the age of 34, Gate won a stage in the Tour of Hainan and was third in the overall standings. He won a stage and the GC in the Boucles de la Mayenne and a stage in the Tour de Langkawi earlier this month.
"It's been a fantastic season with XDS Astana Team," Gate said. "I managed to achieve some strong personal results in China, Malaysia, and France, while also helping my teammates in their quests for victory.
"I'm really happy to be part of this big and friendly team where I immediately felt at home. That's why I'm truly glad to extend my contract with XDS Astana Team, and I hope to achieve even more in the coming seasons."
Malucelli was one of the key riders in turning around XDS Astana's fortunes. The team was on track for relegation from the WorldTour, but surged from 21st to 15th in the three-year standings through their results in 2025.
The Italian ended his season with eight victories, with stage wins at the Tour of Hainan, Tour of Turkey, Tour of Langkawi, and Tour of Taihu Lake, where he also won the overall classification.
"I'm really happy to continue racing with XDS Astana Team – it's an incredible team! This year we had an ambitious goal to collect as many points as possible and stay in the WorldTour, and together we achieved it," Malucelli said.
"It was a bright and successful season with many victories and podiums, and I'm proud to have contributed to the team's results. In the new season, I want to keep progressing and fighting for more top results."
